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Letters of Francis William Kimble
14th Iowa Infantry, Company 'B'
Presented by the Iowa Civil War Site
Letter number twenty-five
Band Quarters, Columbus, Ky Jnuary the 18th, 1864
Mother and Sister, Tonight gives me the pleasure of taking up my pen to
inform you that I am yet amongst the land of the living. Also am happy to
have the pleasure of saying that tonight finds me in the enjoyment of
excellent good health and more that that I must say that I am having an
excellent good time of it for I have got pretty well acquainted around and
about Columbus. But hold on, my good times will not always last for we all
know that we cannot always stay where we are at present. Well I guess I might
as well tell you about it. Well Mother I am under the painful necessity of
telling you that the 14th Iowa is under marching orders. We had a rumor for
about two weeks that the 14th was under marching orders but none of us put
any confidence in the story but tonight we think it to be true for things
begins to look favorable this evening for a move and I think a speedy one to.
We have a rumor this evening that we will leave Columbus before another weeks
hops by. But whether we do or not I haven't the priveledge of saying for a
man never knows when he is at rest, for a soldiers stays is so very
uncertain. When he stops at night he hardly knows whether to lie down or not
for fear he will be ordered away before the morning dawns. Well family I am
not prepared to say tonight where we are bound but I believe that it is the
General's belief that we will go down the Mississippi River as far as
Memphis, Tenn and there form into brigades and then go from there to
Corrinth, Miss and from there to Mobile on the coast. Mobile is on the coast
of Alabama. The papers state that the Confederates in Mobile numbers over
thirty thousand. I think it probable that if we get down there we will have
some fighting to do. Well to tell the truth about it we don't know where we
will go but the fact of it we will go somewhere or other and that before
long. Well Mother our snow all melted off and it turned quite warm yesterday
morning. It was so pleasant that myself and Mr. Phillips, my bunk mate went a
visiting down town. We did not stay long for it began to rain aout 3 o'clock.
It continued to rain until about 8 in the evening when it turned to snow. It
snowed very fast until 3 o'clock this afternoon when it ceased to fall and it
has been getting a getting cooler ever since. The snow on the level is about
10 inches deep. It is very disagreeable under foot for the snow fell right in
the mud and that makes it very bad walking, of course. Eliza I went a
sparking last evening and it stormed so bad that I did not get back to camp
till nearly evening. I had a good time of couse.. I was invited to a party
this evening but the weather is so disagreeable that I thought it wasn't a
good idea to go so I stayed in camp. All of the troops at Columbus is a going
away. I expect that I will send a small box home but I may not send it till I
get to Memphis, probably not at all. We haven't got our pay yet. It may be
that we will get it before we leave. I am in hopes that we will get it for I
have loaned 42 dollars out to the boys. Well I guess I will stop for this
evening for it is bedtime. F. W. Kimble
January 19th. Well Mother we ain't gone yet but things look more favorable
this evening than yesterday. Our quarter master has moved all of our
commissary down to town so as to be ready to go at any notice for we have
orders to be ready to move at any moment after the 19th and that is today.
This evening is very pleasant.The snow melted some little today. I have come
to the conclusion to send a small box home. I haven't anything to send that
amounts to much but I don't want to throw anything away.I will send a good
pair of black pants. I traded a pair of blue for them. They are cavalry
pants. There is talk this evening that we will get our pay tomorrow, but we
may not get it till we get to Memphis. Some of the troops has already gone
down the river. Well Eliza I had a good supper this evening. My old bunk mate
got a box of things from home last night and I had the pleasure of helping
him dispose of them. I have wrote enough for this time I believe so I will
close.
The Copperheds North are trying to bite
Traitors and cowards, they never would fight.
But like their reptile namesake, steal up in the rear
And strike and retreat and run like a deer.
But never mind boys, in a very brief space
We'll whip all the rebels, then right about face.
And march to our homes. It will be mighty queer
If we don't soon dry up the fire in the rear.
From Frank to Mother and Sister. Good evening. Direct as before.
Transcribed and submitted by great great niece
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The Iowa Civil War Site